In 2011, renewable power in the U.S. surpassed nuclear for the first time.

A new report from the Energy Information Administration shows that in 2011, renewable power in the U.S. surpassed nuclear for the first time. In the first three months of the year, renewable energy plants -- including geothermal, biomass, wind, water, and solar -- were responsible for about 12 percent of the country's energy production, while nuclear produced only 2 percent. Renewable energy -- especially biomass, which accounts for almost half of the country's renewable plants -- has been surging in the U.S., showing a 25 percent increase since 2009. Solar production alone, though it represents a small part of the total, has doubled since early 2010.